Shoe for third rails.



PATENTED OCT. 13, 19,03.

J. E. BLAKESLEY. SHOE FOR THIRD RAILS. APPLIUATION FILED APR. 27, 190s.

N0 MODEL.

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Nirn raras Patented October 13, 1903.

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SHOE IFOR THIRD RAILS..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 741,392, dated October13, 1903.

Appiicaion nea Apu zr, 190s. smalto. 154.562. (Numtel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES E. BLAKnsLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoes for Third Rails,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in y a shoe to be carried by carsemployed in that class of electric railways known as thirdrail systemsto contact with the electricallycharged or third rail; and it consistsin certain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement, andoperation of the various parts thereof, as will be hereinafter morefully set forth and specifically claimed.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a shoe of theabove-named character which is more especially intended to contact withthe third rail when the latter is supported in an inverted position, butwhich is also applicable (by obvious and slight changes in thearrangements of its parts) for use on such rails when supported in theordinary manner and which shall be so constructed and supported that itwill be automatic in its operation, so as to afford positive contact atall times, especially in curves and at the juncture of third rails,Where unevenness some1 times occurs.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionpertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it,referring to the accompanying drawings, in whichM Figure 1 is aperspective view of a shoe and support therefor embodying my invention,showing it in contact withaportion of a third rail and illustrating thesupport mounted on a portion of the car-truck. Fig. 2 is a face view ofthe shoe and support therefor. Fig. 3 is an end view thereof, showing bydotted lines the different positionsthe parts of the shoe and supporttherefor will assume when out of Contact with the third rail; and Fig. 4is a cross-sectional view of the shoe, showing a part of one of thesupporting-arms in elevation.

Like numerals of reference refer to correspondin g parts throughout thedifferent views of the drawings.

The reference-numeral10 represents a third lbers 16 and 17 on said arms.

rail, which may be supported by any suitable means, but in the presentinstance is shown in an inverted position.

Mounted on a bar orarm 1l, which should be insulated from the truck,(not shown,) is a frame 12, which is provided on the lower portion ofits upright parts with journal-boxes 13, in which is horizontallyjournaled a shaft 111, on which are mounted two bell-crank levers, thelonger arms 15 of which support the members 16 and 17, comprising theshoe. As shown in Figs. 1 and Ll of the drawings, the ends of each ofthe members 16 and 17 are provided with inward extensions 18 and 19,respectively, which extensions are provided with openings to receive arod 20, which passes through suitable openings in the outer portions ofthe arms 15 of the bell-crank levers, thus pivotally supporting the mem-By reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings it will be seen that theupper surface of the member 16 is downwardly beveled at each of itsends, While the lower surface of the member 17 is upwardly beveled ateach of its ends. The shorter arms 21 of the bell-crank levers are .eachprovided in their upper en ds with openings 22 to receive a throwcrank-shaft 23, whichl is journaled near each of its ends in boxes 24,secured to the frame 12 at each of its sides. The outer ends of thethrow crankshaft 23 are downturned and have secured thereon weights25,used for counterbalancing the shoe and longer arms of the bell-cranklevers, so that the former may be automatically held in Contact with thelower portion of the third rail, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings. In passing from one third rail to another, especially at abroken circuit, it is evident that the shoe will be raised as soon as itis liberated from one of the rails by reason of thecounterbalancing-weights 25, as is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3 ofthe drawings. By beveling the ends of the members 16 and 17 of the shoeit is evident that as the car progresses said beveled portions willcontact with the adjacent third rails in a positive and suitable manner.It is further evident that as the members of the shoe are pivotallysecured on the longer arms of the bell-crank levers they will have anoscillating or rocking movement thereon, as shown by dotted lines inFig. 4, which movement will be advantageous on curves.

The electric conductor or exible cable 27, which leads from the car, issupported on the arm or bar l1 by means of a clip 28 and eX- tendsbetweenthe arms l5 of the bell-crank levers and is connected at itsouter end with the shaft 2 0 by means of a collar 26, which may berigidly secured thereon by means of a set-screw or otherwise.

'Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

. l. The combination with a weighted throw crank -shaft suitablyjournaled, of a bell crank lever fulcrumed near said shaft and havingits shorter arm in engagementtherewith, and a shoe member looselysecured transversely on the outer portion of the longer arm of saidlever, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a weighted throw crank-shaft suitably journaled,of two bellcrank levers fulerumed in parallelism near said shaft andhaving their shorter arms in engagement therewith, and a shoe memberloosely secured transversely on the outer portions of the longer arms ofsaid levers, substantially as described. e

3. The combination with a throw crankshaft suitably journaled, of aweight on each end thereof, two bell-crank levers fulcrumed near saidshaft and having" their shorter arms in engagement therewith, shoemembers loosely and transversely mounted on the outer portions of thelonger arms of said levers, one of said members being located on theupper surface of the said arms and the other on the lower surfacethereof, substantially as described.

, JAMES E. BLAKESLEY.

Witnesses:

CHAS. C. TILLMAN, A. GUsTAFsoN.

